Memsie looms larger for Aeliana after trial mishap
The Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) has emerged as a more serious first-up option for star mare Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) after a barrier incident ruled her out of a Warwick Farm trial on Tuesday.
The multiple Group One winner got her hind leg caught in the starting gates before the opening heat and was withdrawn before the trial.
Trainer Chris Waller said Aeliana had responded well to treatment, with the mare receiving anti-inflammatories and regular ice hosing, and there were no immediate signs of any significant injury.
"Minimal swelling and she's sound," Waller said.
"We, of course, gave her anti-inflammatories after it so that's masking a little bit of swelling, and masking a little bit of pain.
"I'd say by Friday we'll be able to say we're in the clear. You just never know what bruising could be there, but every sign you can see so far is fantastic."
Aeliana will miss this week's Rosehill trials but is expected to have a hit-out at Randwick next Friday, after which connections will decide whether she resumes in the Gr.1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 22 or the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield a week later.
The Winx Stakes had been the preferred starting point, but Waller said the setback had brought the Melbourne option firmly into contention.
"Where it would have been eighty-twenty before, it's probably fifty-fifty now," he said.
"We're very confident we'll still be on track."
Aeliana is expected to be one of the headline acts of the spring and is prominent in early markets for the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m). - NZ Racing Desk
Phantom Major Breaks Through in Style at Canterbury
Promising four-year-old Phantom Major (Snitzel) broke through in impressive fashion with victory in Wednesday's $100,000 Schweppes Handicap (1200m) at Canterbury, producing a powerful finishing burst at just his second race start.
An entire son of Snitzel, Phantom Major has been given plenty of time by champion trainer Chris Waller, making his long-awaited debut at Newcastle last month where he finished a close second in a 1250m maiden.
Phantom Major settled towards the rear of the field before unleashing an explosive turn of foot in the straight to score by a length and a half under James McDonald.
Waller revealed the imposing entire has always shown ability, but patience has been the key with the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale graduate.
"It was a really good performance. He's a big, strong, imposing horse, and it was a bit of a risk bringing him to Canterbury, but his first-up run at Newcastle was great,” Waller said.
"James just let things unfold, and he was dominant over the last part of the race.
"It's an interesting high-profile overseas group of owners. They entrusted the horse with us and said, 'Take your time with him, there's no rush, just see how things play out.' He's just progressively got a little bit better with time, so it's exciting.
"The owners wouldn't let me geld him because they think he's got quite a bit of ability, so we'll just keep building his value.
"It's the right time of year to be joining in. He'll be taking on some of the better horses now with a run under his belt."
McDonald was equally impressed with the colt's progression from his debut.
"Chris said before the race that this horse had come on since his first outing. They went hard up front and he was able to finish strongly. He's a horse that will probably be even better over 1400m."
Phantom Major was purchased for $480,000 by Blandford Bloodstock and Andrew Williams Bloodstock from the draft of KB Bloodstock at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale after breezing impressively in a slick 10.23 seconds. - NZ Racing Desk
Lupo Solitario on track for elite-level debut
Danica Guy can’t wait to get to Ellerslie next month where her Group Three winner Lupo Solitario (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) is set to have his first tilt at elite-level in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m).
The now six-year-old gelding was a standout for the Matamata trainer as a three-year-old, winning three of his six starts, including the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) where he beat subsequent Group One winner Orchestral, before he was sold to Hong Kong interests.
He had seven starts in the competitive racing jurisdiction for trainer Frankie Lor, but a race fall at Sha Tin knocked his confidence and a decision was made to send him back to his homeland after three subsequent unplaced runs.
He returned to Guy’s care, who took over the ownership of the son of Satono Aladdin, and she was rapt to see him return to his form of old when winning two of his five starts earlier this year, including the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie in April.
Guy has been equally pleased with the way he is building into his spring preparation, which included an effortless placing in his 1100m trial at Te Rapa on Tuesday under jockey Erin Leighton.
“He handled it really well, did it all under his own steam and pulled up well, which is great,” Guy said.
Lupo Solitario will now get a deserved tilt at weight-for-age company.
“Hopefully we will go fresh-up into the Proisir Plate at Ellerslie,” Guy said. “It’s a Group One field and there will be nowhere to hide in it, but I would definitely like to give him a crack at it.
“I think he is getting better all the time too. He is getting healthier and his feet are getting better, we are definitely going in the right direction to look at a nice target like that.”
Guy is also eyeing the second leg of the Spring Triple Crown, the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) at Hastings, but will refrain from entering the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m).
“I do think he will run 2000m but I am more interested in trying him out over that sort of trip close to Christmas,” Guy said. “I just want to keep him up to a mile for the early part of the season.”
Lupo Solitario has yet to venture to the Central Districts, but Guy believes he will be well suited by the Hastings track when he contests the Howden Insurance Mile.
“I think most horses handle a nice Hastings track, it is a beautiful track providing it is not too wet,” she said. “If we don’t get any unseasonably wet weather, it should be well up his street.”
Guy also trialled two other members of her stable at Te Rapa, and she is particularly looking forward to the season ahead with three-year-old gelding Texas Cowboy.
“I really like Texas Cowboy,” she said. “He is not a wet tracker, but he trialled very well. I want to give him his chance at three, so he will have some nice targets.”
Another three-year-old Guy is excited about is Hokkaido Thunder, who could potentially be her Derby horse later in the season.
“He is very unique, he is 17.2 (hands), so he is huge and very imposing,” she said. “He just looks like a jumbo version of Lupo, so if he is half as good as him, I will be rapt.
“He jumped out with Lupo the other day and smoked him, but that is not hard to do because Lupo is a pretty lazy track worker, but it was still nice and he is on the right trajectory.
“I am not in too much of a rush with him, I think you will see the best of him once we get on top of the ground over a mile-plus.
“I am no sure whether he will get a Derby trip, but you always want to have a go, they are only three once and I have unfinished business in that Derby. It would be nice to think that he could be a Derby horse.” - Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
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